Rachel Briley
I believe in the transformative experience of true connection; connection to ourselves, connection to others, and connection to the parts of ourself that feel lost, overwhelmed, or alone. I work with women navigating the social and emotional impacts of addiction and childhood trauma. Addiction can feel exhausting, confusing, and at times hopeless. You deserve someone to walk beside you, hear your truth, and understand how life got to where it is without demanding your next steps.
First session
During the first session, we will talk about what has been happening, your concerns, what you hope to change through therapy, and what support feels realistic right now. I will be listening to what you choose to share, but will also ask some questions along the way. There is no pressure to share your whole story at once. Some people jump right in, others spend quite a few sessions warming up. You can expect your first session to feel relaxed and led by you. I won't come with an agenda in mind. We are here to build trust before anything else. This will feel awkward life any first meeting, but by the end of session I hope you feel more at ease and eager to talk again.
Strengths
Forget the therapy lingo and the secret clipboard of notes; you can expect me in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee brewing. I believe therapy should feel like a conversation, not an interrogation. My sessions are a relaxed, welcoming space where you can show up exactly as you are. Together, we'll explore the parts of yourself you've learned to hide, build self-compassion, strengthen your resilience, and reconnect with the person you want to become. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in the belief that lasting change happens through connection—not shame.
Ideal clients
I work with women navigating the social and emotional impacts of addiction and childhood trauma. I work with women struggling with substance abuse, eating disorders, gambling, and sex addiction, as well as women supporting a family member with addition. Some women come to session with the intention of stopping their addictive behavior, others come to reduce harm but with intention to continue. You don't have to have everything figured out before reaching out-- you set the pace and you set the goals.
Treatment methods
Person-centered (Rogerian)
Person-centered work is my home-base. I see the client as the expert of their own situation. While you might not know what to do next in your current situation, I trust your ability to heal and find your way. I help you generate your own solutions, believe in you, and walk along side with you in life. Expect sessions to feel authentic and conversational, but challenging in moments. Your sessions are about a real person in a real situation, not jargon or one size fits all techniques.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
This forms a solid foundation of our work. Through identifying your behavior patterns, thoughts, fears, and past history, we build a better understanding for how your choices and thoughts are impacting your present. Knowing what has worked or not worked well for you in the past, we are able to alter your current thoughts and behaviors to gain you a result that more closely aligns with your current goals.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Often found woven into many of my session, I help a client reintegrate parts of themselves that they may have pushed down or tried to silence in the past. Addiction and trauma often include feelings of shame, anger, and sadness. Coping skills that worked in the past are found to now have taken a life of their own and be out of a client's control. While I use this treatment method more with some clients than others, the idea that you have "parts" is often found in the language I use regardless of treatment method. Parts that are anger at yourself. Parts that you try to hide. Parts that keep popping up when you least expect them and sabotaging your plans.
Brainspotting
Used sparingly. This treatment method allows the client to bypass the language portion of the brain and process underlying memories and feelings. I often use Brain spotting for 1 or 2 sessions when a specific concern has been identified or I am seeing evidence in session that this modality may work best for resolving a client's concern. After 1 or 2 session, I return to CBT, IFS, and Person Centered treatments.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Mainly focusing on distress tolerance skills and mindfulness, I pull numerous skills from this treatment method to offer as between session homework assignments.
Location
Virtual sessions